ESET researchers have concluded an in-depth examination of CVE-2025-50165, a Windows Imaging Component vulnerability. Although classified as critical, ESET’s root cause analysis suggests the complexity of exploitation makes large-scale attacks highly improbable.
Root Cause: WindowsCodecs.dll
The vulnerability occurs when WindowsCodecs.dll attempts to encode a JPG image using 12-bit or 16-bit data precision. The specific function involved, jpeg_finish_compress, is triggered during specific actions such as saving an image or generating system thumbnails.
Expert Analysis
“Our analysis indicates that exploitation is harder than it appears,” says ESET researcher Romain Dumont. “A host application is only vulnerable if it allows JPG images to be re-encoded, and even then, an attacker would need precise control over heap manipulation and address leaks to achieve remote code execution.”
Key Takeaways
- Open Source Roots: The component utilizes libjpeg-turbo, which saw similar vulnerabilities patched in late 2024.
- Reproduction: ESET has successfully reproduced the system crash using a 12-bit/16-bit JPG test method.
- Status: Microsoft released a patch for this vulnerability in August; users are encouraged to verify their systems are up to date.
For the full technical report, visit WeLiveSecurity.com and search for “Revisiting CVE-2025-50165.”
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